Automatic playing attachment for musical instruments.



air passages usually called .f tree crfducksff,

whirliare connected with pncumiitics fdr controlling the instrumeutalities whereby the notes are sounded.

some musical instruments of this nature are designed to play a solo instrument. and an accompaniment instrument by one and the same record sheet. Sometimes, with such an apparatus, it is desirable to play only one. of the instruments, the accompaninirnt instrument, for example, by the same sheet, and at such times the devices peculiar to the solo instrument must be rendered l'unctionless.

This invention relates more particularly to means for using two tracker boards, or two separate series of tracker ducts for the solo and accompaniment instruments respectively, in conjunction with one and the same record sheet, and rendering one tracker hoard inctl'ectual without. disturbing the other when it is desired to cutout one of the instruments, and the invention has for its primary object to provide an improved automatic playing attachment havin means for the accomplishment of these em 3.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the tracker boards' with relation to one another as to make them engage opposite sides of the sheet, and thereby mutually contribute to the degree of pressure required for perfect contact of the sheets against their respective faces.

Another object of the invention is to aatomatically close communication between one set of the note soundin instrumentalities and its tracker ducts wlien it is desired to cut out that instrument.

With a view to the attainment of these ends, the invention consists in the features of novelty which will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawin s, and more particularly pointed out in tie claims.

In the said dra\viugs-Jigare 1 is a diagrannnatic illustration of an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments i-nibodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view at 1 lock and valve hereinafter deisia t routcleviitiiiifi partly broken"? away,'f"ofY-the' tracker board pd .rceorai sheet t -Fig. '4 is detail sectio al ivicuvof 'oneofthe tracker boards 'ahd the cut-outvalveand connected .a'rts.

1"is the reet ufd shcet capab e of being anwound from one spool 2 on to another spool 13, and 4 is the ordinaryror usual tracer hoardover which the sheet 1 passes, d which is provided with tracker ducts 5 rminating in openings 6-in the face of ie tracker board and havin connection of some'suitable sort, as by tube 7, with one of the-musical instrumcnts to'be actuated for soundin the notes thereof whenthe openhugsv 8 g the record sheet-register. therewith;

The "iiiiitla instrument with which the tracker ducts 5 are. connected is not illus' trated in detail, bnt is indicated diagranr: matically at 9, and comprises an organ, piano, or other musical instrument, togetherwith means whereby the admission of tilt to the tracker ducts 5 through the openin s S ofthe sheet 1 results in the actuation ol t-hc note sounding instrumentalitics of the-instrument 9. There are many examples of pneumatic devices well known in the art. capable of thus setting into operation the. note sounding instrumentahties of a musical instrument when air is admitted lll(.l(.tu througha duct or other passage such as the passage 5, and the diagrammatic illustration 9 may be regarded as comprising any onc' of these suitable for the purpose. For the purposes of this explanation, thc'mstrument 9 may be regarded as the accompaniment instrument, and 10 may be regarded as; the solo instrument, which, like the lush-n meat 9, should comprise pneumatic devices whereby the note soundin instrumcntali tics of this instrument 10 will be sounded or actuated when air is admitted to such devices to a suitable passage under proper. control, such, for example, as the passage or pipe 11, in which a vacuum or partial vacuum is created, by suitable air exhausting devices or pumpers connriscd within the solo instrument, as usua similar haustcrs or pumpers being comprised within the accompaniment instrument 9 for creating a vacuum or partial vacuum in the wind chest of that instrument, and a corres ionding degree of vacuum in the tracker t not a in the usual-or any suitable manner.

12 is a second tracker board which controls the solo instrumeht, and which is provided with one or more tracker ducts lit terminating in tracker duet openings l t arranged in line with note openings 1:: in the record sheet 1, but out of line witlrthc note openings 8, the tracker duet. o enings 6, 14 being arranged in two parallel borizuntnl rows, but ill staggered relation in one another, so that lines drawn through the openings of one series per u'mhcuhrr to that series will pass between the openings of the other series, and consequently, the SCI: 0? no e openings 8 intended For the tracker ducts will be inell'ectiiiil to', admit air to the t'r'ackerducts '13, and vicevcrsasja The trackcr'board 12 has its operative face 12 presented inwardl or turned toi ward the face of the -trac'cr immerse that the faces of these two'trackcr boards will en age opposite, sides of the record sheet 1, at preferably not dircctl -opposile one another, so that the contact 0 the sheet will be perfect with thet'ace ot"each JIn order that the tracker board 12 maybe thus 9 i ltLtllilllltlRl.fil lfit tfj .f aalatf-fi -h- -i 1. ithout interfering with the spool It. and that this board may be readily turni out f the way when it is dcsircd to pin} the :u-i-ompaniment instrument alone. such board 12 is pivotally mounted and prrll-rably curvilinear in "cross section, as shown in Fig. 1. so as to be turned back out of the way, and was; through an aperture i in a part oi the case of the instrnna-nt. In order that the tracker board it! may he thus manipulated, it is supported on critters 17 hr arms 18, and when in operative position; is locked in place by auv suitable means. such. for example, as a catch 19 arranged to engage with the upper end of a curved rub plate .20 secured to the inher face of a side member 21 of the frame. \Vhcu the tracker board 12 is being turned back out of the way, the catch 19 rides on the face of tbe'ruh plate until it reaches the lower end of the latter, when it drops on aml engages thereagaiust for holding t \e tracker board in its inactive position, and when being turned up in place, the catch 19 slides over the rub plate 20 until it drops all at the upper end thereof and engages therewith, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2. For convenience of manipulation, catch 19 is mounted n on a slide 22 having slots 23 through whicii screws 24 ass into the tracker board 12, the slide 22 raving a handle .25 arranged adjacent a fixed tlmmb piece 26 for facilitatingwithdrawal of the catch in against the action of a spring 27 situated between the end of the tracker heard 12 and thecatch 10 for holding the latter in engagement. v

It is quite apparent that when the tracker board 12 is withdrawn from the record sheet 1, the solo instrument 10 would be Oll't jcctiouahly sounded if the passages 11 communicating with the tracker duct openings ill respectively were not iirst closed against the admission of air. In order that this may be accomplished, suitable means are providcd whereby the withdrawal of the catch it) preparatory to unlocking the tracker hoard 1. will automatically cut out the solo instrument by closing the passages 11. To that end, the tracker ducts 18 are each con nected with a chamber 28 by separate pipes or passages .29, and the pipes or tubes 11 are connected with chambers 30 respectivclv,:\vhicharejrespectively arranged adthat lter' ,being eapable of communicating will 'one'anothcr via the chamber-B0 at one i e .lhad rh a gi lihamb i 31 is susceptible of variations in air pressure or degree of vacuum bv the manipulation of a valve 33 carried by or operated in unison with the. catch 19 in such a way that when the valve 33 is withdrawn with the catch, resultin in a reduction of the degree of vacuum in chamber 31 above the diaphragm, the vacuum csistiag. in. chambers 28, 30 below the diaphragm 32 will induce the air pressure above to force the diaphragm to its sent over the chambers 28, 30, and thereby close eouummirat-iou between passages 11.and tracker ducts lit, and prevent the admission of air to the passage 11. ,When the tracker board 12 is in position for playing the solo instruuu'ut. the valve 33 closes a port 34 which would otherwise communicate with the atmosphere. This port is connected by tube 3:) with a diaphragm chamber 36 closed on one side by diaphragm 37, and at the opposite side of this diaphragm is situated a chamber 88 connected with any suitable means for creatin a vacuum or partial vacuum therein, sue 1, for example, as a pamper or exhaust-er 39. The chambers 36 and 38 are also connected together-around the diaphragm 37 by a small bleed hole 40, so that. the same degree of vacuum created in chamber 38 will exist in chamber 36, while the valve 33 is closed, but should the valve 311 be e encd, the sudden supply of air to chamber 36 could not be withdrawn as rapidly through the bleed hole 40 as the chamber 38 is exhausted, and consequently, at that time, the diaphragm will move upwardly or toward the chamber 38, and as it does so, it will shut oil communication with a third chamber 41 by a valve 42 arranged to be influenced by diaphragm 37. This valve 42 under normal conditions, is open, and a second valve 43 carried on the same stem 44 as valve 42 closes chamber it against the admission of external utmosphcrc, and thereby keeps chamber 31 in communication with the chamber fi through a passage 45 leadin" into the chamber 41 between the two vali'cs, thus maintaining substantially the same degree of vacuum above the diaphragm 82 as that which exists below it in the chambers 28, 2W. and as a conse ucnce, the diaphragm It? will be inert, al owing the lass-ages 11 to remain in communication with the tracker duct openings 13, but as Soon 85 lb v lve.

33 is opened and ttns equitihritun at'opposite sidesoff'the diaphragm' 39 .is' disturbed by the admission of atmospheric air to the ehamberBl via valve 43 and passage 45, the higher degree of vacuum in chan o hers 28 301W1ll enable the air pressure above- In hragm ;.32 ,to-force the latter gg ward ,v aadietoso these 1 two: chambers t-11.11 :2- 2rd? What i :laim is: i

t. In an apparatus for the pnriose dewri ed. the com ination of a trave ing recrd sheet having two records thereon running side by side in the same direction, two series of tracker devices arranged to engage on tililmi itr. sides of the sheet. and operate simultanct nstv, and separate notesonnding inst rumcntulities opcratively conucctcd with the said two series of tracker devices respectively.

L. in an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a traveling record sheet, pools umn which said sheet. is wound, a tracker ioard engaging one side of said' sheet, a second tracker board engaging the opposite side of said sheet and curved -partially around one of said spools, means whereby the last said tracker bnurd is ca pabte of swinging partially around said spool to disengage it. from said record sheet, and note sounding instrmnentalities controlled by said tracker boards res ectivcly.

It. in an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a record sheet, having two series of note openings running side by side in the same direction, ase'ries of tracker ducts arranged to register with one series of said note openings, a second series of tracker ducts arranged to register with the other series of said note openings, said two series of tracker duets engaging opposite. sides of said sheetsimultaneously, means whereby the. one of said series of tracker ducts may be moved away from the record sheet, separate note sounding instrumentalities operatively connected with said tracker ducts re.- u-ctivei v, and means for closing com munication between the movable series of said tracker ducts and one of said note sounding instrlunentalities at will.

-l in an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a traveling record sheet, a tracker hoard having tracker ducts engaged by said sheet, said sheet. having a series of note openings adapted to register with said tracker ducts. note sounding inst rumcntalitiesconnerted with and controlled Irv said tracker ducts and record sheet, a second tracker hoard movable with relation to'said record sheet and adapted to engage the same, said second tracker hoard also having tracker ducts and the record sheet having a second series of note openings adapted to register therewith, note sounding instrumcntalitics controlled by said secand tracker board and record sheet. a lock tor holding said tra ker board against ui'toi'cnlcnt',and means O arian-6t? Connected i with saulfltmkfor dlsctmneeting the operative "-geonnectiongbct-ween the second said tracker-heartland second said note soundiag instriuaenla'ditics;when said lock 18 re- H. H. 5. In an apparatus of the class descril-md, the combination of a traveling record sheet, a series of tracker ducts arranged in op erntive relation thereto, said record sheet having note openings adapted to register with said tracker duets, note sounding instrumcntalitics operatively connected with and controlled by said tracker ducts and rccord sheet, a second series of tracker ducts arranged in operative relation to said record sheet, the record sheet having a second series of note. oienings adapted to register with the seconi series of tracker ducts, note sounding instrumentalities operatively connected with aml controlled by said series of tracker ducts and record sheet, pneumatically operative means for disconnecting thesecond series of tracker duets with said note sounding instrumentalities including means for creating a degree of vacuum therein, said pneumatic means being adapted to operate when said vacuum is broken or reduced, and a manually controlled valve for breaking or reducing said vacuum at will.

0. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a traveling record sheet having a series of note openings, a series of tracker ducts adapted to register therewith. note sounding instrumentalities connected with and controlled by said tracker duels. a second series of tracker duets arranged in operative relation to said record sheet, a second set of note sounding instrumentalities embodying means for creating therein a degree of vacuum and adapted to become operative upon the breaking or reduction of the said vacuum, ehambers or passages connected respectively with said second series of tracker ducts and the second said note sounding instrmnentalities for admitting air thereto, and breaking or reducing said vacuuni therein, a third chamber with which the first said chambers mnnnunicute, a movable valve in said third chamber adapted to close the said-oassagcs opening thereinto when the degree o t vacuum existing in the latter becomes greater than thatexistingin said third chamber, air exhausting means. a pneumatic valve mechanism adapted to connect said third chamber with the atmosphere and said air exhausting means alternately, said pneulnatie valve mechanism embottrmg a lnovable abutment subjected on both sides to the tension ereated by said air exhausting means, and a manually controlled valve for reducing the air tension on one side of said movable abutment at will.

7. In an apparatus of the class described thc combination of a traveling regard sheet having two recordsdhcreon running side by side in the same dlreetion, two tracker devices arranged to'engage. on opposite-sides .efiihsibsstmlarmeeieala rarian?!a separate note sounding instrumentalities operatirrly connected with said tracker dericea res iuelirely.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the euinhjnation of a traveling record sheet ha ring two records thereon running side by side in the same direction, a separate set of tracker (IllYittl-i for each of said records, said sets of lrarlu'r derives heing arranged to engage on the opposite sides of the sheet and operate simultaneously, a solo instrument:

operatirely ronneehal with one set of said tracker devices, and an accompaniment instrnnwnt operalively connected with the ulltt't' said set of tracker devices.

9. in an apparatus of the class descrihed; the combination of a flexihlo traveling rec-l ord sheethavin,' two sets of record open-j ingzs therein, the openings of one set lacing staggered with relation to those of thei other, two tracker hoards engaging opposite: sides of said sheet and having tracker ducts; arranged in line with the openings of said records respectively, one of said tracker hoards heing movalile with relation to the z-other whrrehy it. may he utilized aa a means nf n'odncing tenaion of the record sheet ,tlflltlllSl. hoth tracker boards, and separate :nnte-sonding instrnmcntalities respectively connected with said tracker hoards.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two snhscrihing witnesses, on this 6th day of May A. D. 1910.

ROBERT J. BENNETT.

\Vitnemea: i

J. ll. Joe-nun, Jr., (J. II. Sumo. 

